 Poster: A snowHead
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First time I've looked at the forecast since returning from our trip to 3V last week.
Forecast looks excellent for the next few days - nice little dump followed by some light snow and freezing level back down to ~ 2000m.
Should be great late season skiing/touring.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does anyone know if the replacement of the TransArc gondola will go ahead this summer? It’s never been my favourite lift and it will be nice to see it replaced, sooner rather than later.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@rob@rar, I agree, not my favourite lift and I have avoided it for my last 5 weeks skiing in Les Arcs. Even then the last time I used it was in the summer.
We are heading out for a couple weeks at the start of July so I'll let you know then.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@thefatcontroller, thanks, looks like a 2 year project, with work this summer and next if it is to be completed in 2024?
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@rob@rar, it does read that it will be done in 24 ready for 24/25 ski season but this is France. We shall see but at least it is in the plans
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Can't say as I have a particular dislike of the Transarc, though we often use Vagere and Arpette to go over.
But I guess it is ageing a bit (aren't we all!).
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@Layne, Problems with transarc:
1/ You have to take your skis off to use it.
2/ You are crammed in
3/ Someone (half) have to workaround the central post
4/ The bum rest are wrong. Too high for most people and only 10cm wide. Very uncomfotable.
5/ If you are tall enougth to use the bum rests then you keep sliding forward off them.
6/ Big queues - even if there is no one in front of you.
7/ Very hard to get on at the mid station
8/ Did I say you are crammed in.
9/ Charmettoger is much better if you only want to go to the mid station.
10/ It is a real shame they took the grand reynard lift out. - you could get there easily from the Derby lift, or Charmettoger and hence comfortably over to 2000. There was never a queue for that lift. (It is a shame they took Gollet out as well while I am grumbling about useful old lifts.)
I would choose Vagere over the Transarc every time. You even get a nice run down to Arpette or Carreley. For the odd person, like me, there is always Clochette and Secret
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@johnE, +1 to all of that. I'm hoping the increased capacity of the TransArc reduces peak pressure on the Vagere as, like you, that would always be my preferred lift out of Arc 1800 unless I needed to get to the top of the Arc 2000 bowl in a hurry.
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@johnE, I am not saying it couldn't do with an upgrade. Just googled to see it was built in 1991 so probably about time.
But I've not really found it particularly queuey or uncomfortable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Some artwork from the Marie's office regarding the new TransArc and a refurbishment (?) of the lift pass and office building next to the gondola.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
I am not saying it couldn't do with an upgrade. Just googled to see it was built in 1991 so probably about time.
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Wow, 1991. I remember it being built!
@rob@rar, I actually prefer Carreley if I'm coming from Arc1600. Vagere, of course, if coming over from Vallandry. There used to be a really useful lift in 1800 that took you just high enougth to ski across to 1600. It ran until about 5:30 or even 6pm and since it gained only a minimum amount of height was useful in bad weather.
In the alpine animal museum at the top of the Vallandry lift there is a stuffed dahu. I wonder why the lift of that name is so named, but it is a shame that it doesn't go that little bit higher where the traverse piste cuts across offering a replacement for the old Carreley lift.
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@johnE, love the list and concur with it - likewise we tend to avoid, and use Vagere / Arpette, or Carreley.
To us, the irritating thing about the top height of the Pesiey / Vallandry lifts is, as you say, that you can only avoid the Derby (to gain sufficient height to get across the face of the mountain) by skiing down into 1800 centre.
I'm sure there were conversations and conservation reasons why the track from the top of the Grizzly for example doesn't go slightly higher and thus enable a ski across to 1600 from a single lift. But hey ho.
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You know it makes sense.
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Another hater of the Transarc here....However and wherever I try and sit/stand I have never been able to get comfortable, even when it's just me and my MTB in the summer..
I try and avoid it at all costs..Which in fairness is easy for us, as we start all our days in 1600..
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Gilly76, Ah, the fun of geting a mountain bike into the transarc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| johnE wrote: |
| @Gilly76, Ah, the fun of geting a mountain bike into the transarc. |
I get double the fun. I have to get mine on, and then try to get my 10 year old's bike on at the same time - nightmare.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For us the arrival of the Carelly lift was game changer. Much easier get back to 2000 and avoid Transarc via this lift.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Who is in Les Arcs this summer?
We'll be there for a couple weeks in early July if anyone is around and fancies a drink.
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We'll be there for the first couple of weeks in August. Bit miffed that the Funni will be out of order again. The shuttles, and especially the bike transport were pretty rubbish last year.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Gilly76, Good point about the funicular. I don't think I'll cycle down to Bourg this summer. Even renting an electric bike it may tax me too much to ride up.
Apert from cycling what are your other summer activities? I like the odd walk, perhaps a raft down the Isere, some via ferrata and a fair bit of sport climbing. If the conditions look good this year I would like to get the ice axe and crampons out to tackle some proper hills. A couple nights in the refuge du Ruitor would be nice.
I've just looked at the livecams and the conditions in Les Arcs still look excellent.
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@johnE, very much the same as yourself, trying our best to keep the children active and outdoors. We had a dog at the end of last Summer so will be looking at more Hikes. Our place is on the other side of the valley from 1600, so we'll spend some time this year exploring this side, Fort Du Truc/Platte and maybe the 5 lakes.
Had a couple of 'rafts' down the Isere, though I think this year the kids may have a go at Kayaking themselves. We had a go at our 1st via ferrata (the one near Peisey)last Summer and we all really enjoyed that so we'll be doing some more of the same.
The kids really enjoyed a couple of nights at the indoor climbing place in Aime last Summer, so I'm sure that they'll be looking at doing some more climbing. I think my wife and I will draw the line at via ferrata though..
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I’m very impressed by the value of the accommodation we’ve booked for next January so I thought I’d share it here. Admittedly the accommodation is modest - in the Lauzieres building at 1800 - but is a great location from memory. We’ve got two apartments for our group of 6. One apartment for the two adults and one for the four teens. They come in at only 58 Euro per night for each apartment. Perhaps the best value on snow accommodation I’ve seen anywhere.
For reference our nearish to snow accommodation here in Australia this winter will be the equivalent of (starting price) 700 Euro per night.
So pumped for next winter. We have the pleasure of bringing two of our kids friends who have never been overseas and never seen snow before. The look of amazement when someone gets snowed on for the first time is priceless.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Layne, Doesn't include linen but that was the same as when we stayed at 1800 in March just gone. The cost of the linen service wasn't eye watering by any means. I'm thinking it's because the accommodation starts the week after new year for three weeks so all 'low season'?
My daughter is the 'mother hen' type so she'll keep the teens on a tight leash to a degree. I hope!
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@Layne, The price looks about right for those weeks, but it depends on just how big they are. Remember for 2 weeks there is no end of stay cleaning or any effort supplying keys etc. Apart from the 4 weeks of midwinter holiday and New Year there is a surplus of accommodation in Les Arcs. Our apartment in 1600 rarely lets out in January and that is at a rate < 400€ a week. The agency is probably glad to be gaurenteed 2400€ where in many years they'd get nothing.
Why would teens damage an apartment? The main question is, IMHO, where is the cooking to take place?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@johnE,
The adults apartment will do the cooking. It will be fine in teams. Adults - we’ll produce quality meals. Teen girls - they’ll deliver decent food. Teen boys - could be questionable.
At the price the accommodation is I will fund eating out about half the time.
The apartments are about 30m2.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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From reading the material on the Transarc replacement, it seems inevitable that the Charmettoger lift will be removed. This is a real shame - we normally stay at this side of Arc 1800 and despite the slow climb up the hill it's much easier than trekking across to Villards in ski boots. Does anybody know whether it's likely to be around next season? Perhaps they will wait until the Transarc work is complete before removing it?
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@Yukon, They planned to remove the Charmettoger lift a few years ago and it was only reprevied, I beleive, after protests by the customers. Not only does it serve your part of the 1800 but it also forms part of the link along with Jardin Alpin and the Navette for the low lying apartments in both Arc 1800 and 1600. For example many people staying in Plan Devin in Arc 1600 catch the Navette in the morning to the lift bottom station rather than face the 150m+ vertical trek up to the Combettes lift. The shorter bus ride to the Mont Blanc lift requires a lot more walking and often a queue at the lift.
I imagine they will now direct you down the short piste to the new Transarc. I notice that they plan pistes to approach it from both sides.
I suspect the overall plan of the resort is to keep removing the smaller capacity lifts and replace them with fewer higher capacity ones.
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You know it makes sense.
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@johnE, interesting - thanks. Expect you are right about all of this. The curious thing about much of Charmettoger is that it is caught vertically between the base of Jardin Alpin (no easy route down from many areas) and without enough height to ski across to the Transarc as the snowline slope goes down towards Vallandry. Perhaps something as simple as a conveyor or rope tow might help to get just enough height to traverse to the Transarc/Vagere.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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At last I have found out when Les Arcs is openning for the summer - July 2nd. This is quite a bit earlier than previous years. However, there will be a partial opening on June 11th with a weekend bus from Bourg st Maurice and the Cachette lift open to carry mountain bikes and hikers up the hill. Another 5 lifts will open on June 18th https://www.lesarcs.com/blog/calendrier-de-lete-aux-arcs/ete-les-arcs.html#avant-premiere. I suspect one or two restaurants will also be open. There are ususually a couple open at lunch times throughout the year.
It may not be totally plain sailing, however. The live cams today show it snowing heavily in Arc2000 and sleeting in Arc 1600 and 1800. In Arc 2000 there is still a lot of snow cover. In fact almost totally covered. It is not unusual for snow patches to still be on the bike tracks up by the col du chal in August. In June they may still be more ski piste than bike piste.
So the resort will be open (well partially) in just over 5 weeks time. Plenty of potential for the flowers to still be out and the wild strawberries and bilberies to be sampled.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at transfers for next January. A Tuesday. Any idea of they run during the week? Bourg to Geneva.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone seen any confirmation of the opening date for winter season 2022-23? Based on the usual opening pattern I think it should be 10 December, but does anyone think it might be pushed back to 17 December? Want to confirm some plans and it would be good if the resort has announced the date, but I can't find anything on their useless website.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@sbooker, Altibus run daily services from Bourg station to GVA. I doubt that they'll have published their timetable this far in advance, but from memory I think there were at least a couple of services per day during the week.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Anyone seen any confirmation of the opening date for winter season 2022-23? Based on the usual opening pattern I think it should be 10 December, but does anyone think it might be pushed back to 17 December? Want to confirm some plans and it would be good if the resort has announced the date, but I can't find anything on their useless website. |
The Tourist Office website might be hopeless, but can't fault their response to emails. Ten minutes after I sent an enquiry they replied, on a Saturday morning no less, that the confirmed dates for next winter are 10 December 2022 to 29 April 2023. Happy days!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@sbooker, Next season things may be different, but last season there were daily busses from the bottom of the funicular to Geneva airport. If that fails then there is always the train or even Blablacar.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar, from my P&V booking options looks like 10th Dec. opening, until closing week of 22/4 (ie open until 29/4)
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@rob@rar, oops , juts seen you've sorted yourself! hohum.
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Thanks all. Alti Bus sounds good. The train shows a travel duration of about 5 hours. Seems strange.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@sbooker, The train duration depends on the connection in Chambery
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@johnE,
Thanks. Perhaps the winter schedule may reduce the train time.
My wife tells me it’s only about 200 sleeps until we’re ‘wheels up’ to France in January. I will punctuate that wait by treating myself to some heli skiiing out of Queenstown New Zealand in August for my 50th birthday.
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